The Red Flag is red (hand-tinted by Kenneth Anger) in this mint-perfect print of the most complete silent version known to exist of Potemkin.
"Instructed to make a film commemorating the 1905 revolution, Eisenstein chose to base his script on the mutiny on board the battleship ‘Potemkin' of the Black Sea Fleet, somewhat adapting the historical facts to create an inspired combination of propaganda and art.
"The clarity and effectiveness of Potemkin derives from the simple, forceful narrative which justifies Eisenstein's use of ‘types' rather than fully rounded characters whose complexity might obscure the film's message. Tisse, as well as capturing the stylized visual element of Eisenstein's conception, developed new techniques to film the inexperienced players and, especially, the brilliant sequence of the massacre on the Odessa steps; he is also credited with inventing the brief, effective series of shots showing stone lions apparently rising in support of the people. The film's enduring power lies in Eisenstein's command of rhythmic editing which binds all the elements into a controlled scheme." --"The Oxford Companion to the Film"